Top rail for freight cars



Feb. 26, 1929. 1,703,757

I w. E. wmg

TOP RAIL FOR FREIGHT CARS Filed larch 1928 In ueni'ar:

\Mi'lliam E. ,in

Patented Feb. 26, 1929.

* UNITED STATES v f 1,103,157 PATENT orrrce.

WILLIAM E. WINE, 0F TOLEDO, OHIO.

TOP RAIL 'FORxFREIGHT CARS.

7 Application filed am n 2;1928. Serial No. 258,648. I

My invention relates to new and usefulim: provements in freight cars"and more particularly to the end construction thereof and the top rail.Y

The present invention also contemplates in its broadest aspect, a car ofwhat is known as the ,full capacity-type, that .is, where the ends areslightly tapered or oft-set,I-so that although space i'sprovided on theside forthe safety appliances, such as ladders and grab irons, the cubiccapacity of the car will b lessened to but a small degree.

There are two principal types of full capacit the other type, where theend side sheets extend at a slight angle towards each other as theyapproach the end of the car.

The latter type is disclosed in the patent to J. HfPilcheiy No. 143,096and the present invention in its broadest aspect is similar tothisPilcher ty e of reduced car ends.

One of the 0 ject-s of the present invention is to form the end sidesheets of plane surfaces and dispose them slightly at an angle towardseach-other as they approach the end of the car and,'t0 further provide atop rail which is provided with a trough like portion throughout thegreater part of its length, this trough-like portion however, dying awayand: merging near' its ends with the vertically extending portion of thetop rail.

In a number of my former applications and co-pending applications, thereare shown the end side sheets provided with certain troughlike portions,while in this application the trough-like portion is formed in the toprail and the end side sheets are plain surfaces.

These trough like portions provide for a maximum capacity :and alsoprevent formation of pockets in the sides of; the car in which the coalmight lodge when unloading.

As is well k-nownto those skilled in the art,

these cars. are often emptied by strapping the car to a platform and theentire car and platform inverted so that the coal passes out from the.top of the'car. rather than through the hopper bottoms.

Still another object of the invention, there- I "fore isto provide a toprail for a freight car,

top rail being formed with the trough-like portion which vanishes nearits ends.. Furthermore, the top rail and end side sheets are arranged sothat space will be provided for i come within certain limits as calledfor. Master Car Builders Association.

preferred embodiment cars; one, where the end side sheets ares ightlyset in and extend parallel with each other to the extremeends of the carand,

'5-5 of Fig. 1 and the safety appliances which must ofoourse With theseand other objects in. View, as will be fully explained as thespecification proceeds,ithe invention consists in certain new and novelarrangements and comb-ina-V .tlOIl of parts as will be hereinaftermore'fully described and pointed out-in the claims.

Referring now to the drawings showing a by the Fig. l is a fragmentaryside elevation of a freight car showing the manner of forming the toprail and the end side sheets together with the disposition ofthe ladder.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the top rail, the dottedflinesshowing the disposition of the end sidesheets at the one end of the carat its one side.

Fig. 3 is a sectional viewofthe'top rail and portion of the end sidesheet,as soen-online 33 of Figure l,

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on 1ine4-4 ofFig. 1 lookingin directionof the arrows,

Fig. 5 is a sectional Fig. 6 isa horizontal section taken on line 66 ofFigure 3.

Referring now more specifically to the sev eral views, there is shown.in Figure 1, a fragmentary side elevation of the side of the car at itsone end,vand.it-mightbement'ioned at the out-set, that the opposite sidewillibe formedin a like manner. Furthermore the viewtaken on line 7sides near-the opposite end of the cariare which leg will be secured theupper edgeof the side sheets6. to which is secured the end side sheets,the

into a horileg or flange 5,-to

so that a descrip- Ina like manner the upper edge of the end side sheets7 will also be secured along this flange portion 6 where the flangeextends behind the said end side sheets.

This top rail through-out the greater portion of its length will appearin cross section as is shown in Figure 3. Of course uprights or stakes 8will lie behind the side sheets at certain points and the stakes willextend up behind the sloping portion 2 of the top rail to brace the samewhile rivet-s of course will tie the side sheets,.top rail and stakestogether. This will be understood from Figures 1, 8 and 6.

Figures l and 5 show the changing contour oi the top rail as itapproaches its end and also show the end side sheets riveted to thelower portion of the top rail. 7 Referring for the moment to Fig. 2, theend sidesheet 7 is shown in dotted lines as extending from the stake 8to a corner post 9, the angle of which post is slightly opened so thatits two legs will be respectively parallel with the end of the car 10and with the end side sheet 7. In this Figure 2 there is shown thecorner brace 11 which will be riveted to the top rail extending acrossthe end of the car and also to the one that extends along the side ofthe car. 7

t will also be understood as previously mentioned that the opposite sideof the car at its end is similar to the side shown in Fig.

but ofcourse its end side sheets extend inwardly as it approaches itscorner post.

Referring for the moment tothe downwardly extending flange l of the toprail,

(Fig. 1), it will be seen that this is slightly cut away as at 12-, soas to provide clearance for the styles 13 of the ladder. This ladderbeing set nearly flush with the end side sheets and-the end side sheetsbeing angularly disposed, permits the ladder to not extend beyond thesides of the car. On theother hand but little space is lost in incliningthe plates in this manner to receive the ladder. In other words, thecubic capacity of the car is but Slightly reduced as will be clearlyunderstoo Referring to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the end side sheet 7is substantially a plane surface and has its upper edge riveted to theleg portion 5 of thetop rail, so that these sheets may be simply cut outfrom ordinary stock and riveted into position unless some specialconstruction is desired for its lower edge.

The construction however of the top rail from the stake 8 to the cornerposts 9 is of great-importance. It will be seen from Fig ure 1, as wellas the several sectionsthatthe trough portion 2 from a point oppositethestake 8 tapers and dies away to a vanishing point as at 1 1.

At the point 16 where the trough port-ion starts to vanish, there willbe an ever increasing portion 17, which will extend in a vertical planeas may be understood from Figures 1 and-5. Figure 5 shows the crosssection substantially at the end of the top rail.

By providing this trough-like portion in the top rail ratherthan in theend side sheets,

portion 5 of the top rail, these rivets being in a straight linethroughout the side of the car. i

Also'by forming the top rail in this manner 1 it will be seen that thetrough-like port-ion in the top rail extends right up to one of thestyles of the ladder, so that the capacity of the car will be as greatas possible and at: the same time, by having the trough vanish in thetop rail at this point, clearance is provided for the styles of theladder and the rungs will not extend out beyond the natural sidesot thecar. Small brackets'lS as shown in Fig. 3 will be disposed at differentpoints beneath the top rail to properly brace the same.

it is to be reinen'ibered that the end side sheets ext-end towards eachother as they approach the end of the car and the change in contouroithe top rail will start substantially at the stalze 8 and then changeits cross sectional shape progressively to about the point 1% where itcontinues in the shape shown in Fig. 5 to its end whereit is fastened tothe corner post 9. V It will thus be seen that} have provided a freightcar, the side sheets of which are secured to the lower portion of thetop rail,

which op rail'is so formed at itsopposite ends that space willbe'provided for a ladder and at the same time will have a trough-likeportion therein, so that the cubic contents of the car will be asgreatas possible.

Lastly the riveting of the end side sheets to the'toprail is easilyaccomplished as the upper edges of the end side sheets simply overlapthe lower edge of the portion of the top rail. w

.Many slight changes might be made, without in any way departing fromthe spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is I 1. A. top rail for a freight carcomprising a top portion and a web, the said web extending at anacuteangle to the top portion throughout the greater portion of the length ofthe rail and the end of the rail having its top portion extending atright angles to the web.

2. A toprail for a freight car comprising a top portion and a Web, thesaid web extending at an acute angle to the top portion throughout tiegreater portion of the length of the rail and the opposite ends of therail having its top portion extending at right angles to the web. v a

3. A top rail for freight cars comprising a web, a lower verticalportion and a top portion at right angles to the lower vertical portion,the said web being at an acute angle to the top portion throughout thegreater length of the rail, the Web merging wit-h the lower verticalportion and extending in the same vertical plane therewith at the end ofthe rail. 7

4. A top rail for a freight car comprising a top portion and a web, theends of the rail being slightly inclined from the longitudinal axis ofthe rail, the major portion of the rail having the web extending at anacute angle to thetop portion and the inclined ends of the rail havingthe web portion at right angles to the top.

5. A top rail for a freight car comprising a lower leg, an in 'iwardlyextending web, a horizontal top portion and a downwardly extendingflange merging with the top portion and parallel with the lower leg. I

6. A top rail for a freight car comprising a web, a lower leg mergingwith the web and an upper portion merging with the web and having adownwardly extending flange spaced from the web and the web as itapproaches the end of the rail extending at right an les to the upperportion of the rail and parallel with the downwardly extending flange.

7. A top rail for a freight car having a trough-like portion formed byan inclined web, the said trough-like portion extending to a vanishingpoint near the end of the rail, the web being disposed vertically at.the end of the rail and extending to a vanishing point near a pointWhere the trough-like portion of the web starts to decrease.

8. A freight car, the end side sheets of which are inclined towards eachother as they approach the end of the car, a top rail having a lowervertical flange, to which the respective end side sheets are secured,the said top rail having a trough-like portion decreasing in width as itaproaches the end of the car.

9. A top rail for a freight car comprising a lower leg and an end sidesheet secured to said leg, the said top rail at its end having a webthat changes from the vertical progressively to an acute angle.

10. A top rail for a freight car comprising a web, a flange merging withthe lower portion of the web, a horizontal top portion merging with theweb and a downwardly extending flange from said top portion and cut awaynear the end of the rail, the said web changing its angle of inclinationalong a line drawn diagonally from the bottom of the web to the topthereof to form a troughlike portion in the said rail and the lower legof the top railremaining vertical throughout its length. r

11. A freight/car having end side sheets extendin towards each other asthey approach the end of the car, the said end side sheets being planealong their upper portions, a top rail extending above said end sidesheets and a trough-like portion formed in said top rail extendingpartly over the end side sheet.

12. A freight car having oppositely tapered ends, end side sheetsinclined towards each other at said ends, a top rail extending along thesides of the car, troughlike portions formed in the top rail and thetrough-like portions reaching a vanishing point near the ends-of therail and beyond the inner vertical edges of the end side sheets.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

WILLIAM E. WINE.

